The Mazda Navajo was a 2-door SUV introduced in 1991, and Mazda's very first off-roader. Also, the Navajo was Mazda's only truck-based SUV. Available only as a four-wheel drive, two-door vehicle, the Navajo was essentially a rebadged Ford Explorer Sport. It was marketed in the United States only as Mazda Canada did not want to market an SUV. All Navajos were built in Louisville, Kentucky, where the Explorer was built.

To set the two apart, the Navajo had a different grille, taillights and wheels. Inside, it was even harder to tell one from the other, as seat fabrics, type face on the instrument cluster (but the same design) and the steering wheel hub were the only apparent differences. Two trim levels for the Navajo were offered, base and LX. The base version offered power windows, power locks and power mirrors as standard. The LX added features such as extra interior illumination and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. An optional premium package loaded up the Navajo with luxuries including air conditioning, a stereo system with cassette deck, cruise control, sport seats with power lumbar adjustment and a pop-up/removable moonroof.

A rear-wheel drive Navajo was available for 1992, geared towards people who liked the sporty image of an SUV, but did not need four-wheel drive. Base models were now called the DX, more in keeping with the Japanese manufacturer's way of referring to their base versions (such as Mazda's own 626 DX).

Otherwise, the Navajo changed so little that most of the photography used in the 1991 brochure was reused for the 1992 brochure. As expected, the 1993 Navajo picked up the same mechanical upgrades as the Explorer, such as increased power for the V6 engine and four-wheel anti-lock brakes. Unlike the Explorer, however, the only other change was an optional CD player. New five-spoke alloy wheels for the Navajo LX were the only change for 1994, which was the Navajo's last year. Sales were poor, and the Navajo was eventually replaced with the Mazda Tribute (based on the Ford Escape) in 2001, seven years after the Navajo was discontinued. The Navajo was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year for 1991.